Higher education located in a laboratory of social innovation

Bangladesh was the original development “basket case,” the demeaning term used for countries that would always depend on aid. The country faced famines, floods, and military coups. When it split from Pakistan in 1971, many observers doubted that it could survive as an independent state. Yet over the past 20 years, Bangladesh has made big developmental gains, particularly in the areas of health, life expectancy, and education much of which is credited to BRAC.

Since its start in 1972, BRAC has proven that even a country facing the most challenging circumstances can achieve tremendous progress with innovative and ethical community leaders. Founded in 2001, BRAC University is an integral part of BRAC’s commitment to create a more just and peaceful world by providing relevant, high-quality education and equipping students with the moral courage and the ethical conviction necessary to address current and future challenges. BRAC University is the embodiment of BRAC’s fundamental conviction that higher education is the catalyst for positive change, the cornerstone for building peace and must be accessible to all individuals. BRAC University is committed to cultivating innovative and knowledgeable leaders and, in so doing, attracts a gender-balanced, diverse student population, that not only represents Bangladesh, but also Asia, Africa, Australia, South America as well as Canada, Germany, Japan and the USA.

Tomorrow’s leaders from the global south will have a tremendous impact on the future of our world. BRAC University’s Bangladesh location, a laboratory of social innovation, allows its students to gain an excellent education in a dynamic and challenging environment. Students’ classroom experience – whether focused on business, climate change, public health, education or other areas of academic study – is deeply informed by the developing world around them. Students see and experience first-hand both the problems they are learning to tackle and the current approaches to address the challenges.